AIDS Walk!!!

I remember watching the news when I had just turned 7. I saw people laying out large extravagant quilts in Washington D.C. There were big, red ribbons stretched out all over the place. I was captivated. I didn't know what was going on, but there were THOUSANDS of people and the news was spending an extraordinary amount of time on it. Like a whole half hour segment. I kept trying to understand, but I just couldn't figure out what these people were trying to accomplish....
Then I heard the word, "death."

I used to have this irrational fear of death. I was fascinated, terrified, obsessed, and totally determined to avoid it.

I realized that these people were getting together to honor people that had died and to try to keep more people from dying.
My dad walked in and I asked him what this was about. He looked at the T.V. and almost instantaneously went to look for the remote. He changed the channel and told me to watch my cartoons. This made me even more curious. He left and I changed it back. He came back and changed the channel. I asked again what this quilt-thing was about, and added that it wasn't inappropriate so I could watch it if I wanted to.
He got very serious, and said, "Those people are talking about a virus called AIDS. It's mainly gay men who get it, and they only want a cure for it so they can sleep together without God's repercussions for sinning."

Never did he mention that "God's repercussion" was a painful and embarrassing death.

Now I have to defend my father. That was a LONG time ago and he is not so ignorant on this topic. He would never say such a hurtful and false statement today.
However that ONE statement has hung with me since then, because I remember the feeling of knowing that my dad was lying to me... The Heavenly Father I knew and had been taught about would never say something like that.

This weekend is Arizona's AIDS Walk. I wasn't sure if I was going to sign up for it or not, but then a girl in one of my classes told me that she was putting together a Team in honor of her brother who recently died. She talked me into it and I can't tell you how excited I am to be a part of this!

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE join this GREAT cause and walk with us! If any of you in Arizona, are reading this and haven't signed up yet.... SIGN UP and join the Johnathan's Hope Team. :)

If you don't live in AZ, I still encourage you to sign up and walk! Find a team, and help someone in need! Karma, good energy, blessings or what ever you believe in will come back to you for signing up!